The MacBook Air is still one of the best laptops you can buy — and … – Business Insider

Apple’s products are as well known for many things, but being on sale isn’t one of them.

But for a limited time, you can save $50 on a MacBook Air thanks to Amazon.

It might not be as small as the MacBook or as powerful as the MacBook Pro, but the Air is still a perfectly good machine for day-to-day use — I’m typing this article on one right now.

The 13″ MacBook Air is a balanced machine — it’s thin, light, powerful, and gets great battery life, but it doesn’t have any of the flashy new features that set its siblings apart.

It has two USB 3.0 ports that work with your current accessories, an SD Card slot for photos, and a Thunderbolt 2 port to connect to a dock or high-resolution monitor. The keyboard is also Apple’s older version, which has more key travel but smaller key caps, and a MagSafe connector for power.

For most people, this baseline MacBook Air will be a great machine; if all you do is watch Netflix, write e-mail, browse the web, and post on social media, you’re going to be fine. People with more power-hungry needs will push the Air and see it struggle, but I’ve even been surprised at how well it handles high-resolution image-editing.

I should also point out that this is the second newest version of this laptop. Apple recently gave it a minor processor boost, although it’s not big enough to make much of a difference.

Like I said earlier, if you’re an average computer user, this MacBook Air is going to serve you just fine. I’ve used it every day for over a year, and it’s still pretty fast. It slows down if I have a lot going on at once, but that’s more of the exception than the rule. The only people I could see getting upset at this computer’s performance are those who really need a powerful machine, or want features like USB-C and the Touch Bar.

It might not be forward-looking, but this is a computer I’m happy to be using on a daily basis, and won’t have problems using for the next few years. You can use it with the accessories you already own, upgrade it if your needs do change, and save some money in the process.

Whether you’re going to college (or know someone who is), or just want a reliable computer that doesn’t have every cutting-edge feature, this is a good deal. You’re getting a machine that’s made for efficiency and consistency, which isn’t a bad deal.

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